February 26, 2016
THE ONLY QUESTION THAT REALLY MATTERS
Matthew 16:13–20
Cooper Brown
Central Truth
Jesus asks us the same question He asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mathew 16:15) Once you know and believe the true answer, that Jesus is the Messiah, your life will be forever changed.
Key Verse | Matthew 16:15
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
Matthew 16:13–20
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock 1 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar I will build my church, and the gates of hell 2 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed 3 16:19 Or shall have been bound shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 16:13–20
There are a lot of “important” questions flying around my school these days: "Who do you like?" Or, "How did you do on the test?" Or even, "Who is winning in your fantasy football league?" All of these questions have one thing in common . . . they don’t really matter. These questions are all about temporary things. Jesus asked a question that did matter because it was about eternal things.
Jesus asked His disciples a question over 2000 years ago that we still have to ask ourselves today: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) How you answer this question literally changes everything. Sadly, most people miss the mark. A common answer today is that Jesus was a good teacher or a prophet. Some kids at my school just say He was a swag dude, or they pretend He never existed at all. However, there is only one answer that is right. Peter nailed it right on the head when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mathew 16:16)
Peter wasn’t the only one who thought that. Paul, who authored almost half of the books in the New Testament, wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8) Paul recognized how important following Jesus was, and because of that he changed from being a persecutor of Christians to a follower of Christ.
Saying that Jesus is Lord is one thing, but your actions should reflect your belief. Your whole life should change. Accepting that Jesus is your Savior gives you a purpose, a mission. Then life will be about more than who makes the team, who has the best grades, or who has the most money.
When you come to the same conclusion as Peter, Paul, and countless other Christians, you will be blessed. Heaven and a relationship with God are just two of the amazing benefits of believing in Jesus. It may not be easy, but it is and will always be worth it.
Discussion Questions
1. Who do you say that Jesus is?
2. What temporary questions are you preoccupied with that distract you from the question that really matters?
3. How has believing that Jesus is the Son of God changed your life?